Teen accidentally locks himself in vault of abandoned bank, gets rescued

Image: Twitter/@HollywoodFLPD

One teen from Hollywood, Florida had to be rescued by authorities after accidentally locking himself inside a vault of an abandoned Bank of America branch.

The teen was playing with a friend when they wandered inside the building. The incident happened around noon of Wednesday, Nov. 28, and saw the 17-year-old enter the bank’s vault, only for it to close behind him. This left him trapped, as reported by 7 News on the same day.

It would take two more hours before the teen’s friend called 911 for help.

“Got trapped in there somehow,” Pat Keller, chief of Hollywood Fire Rescue Battalion, was quoted as saying. “Him and his buddy were playing. Somehow they got entry into this abandoned building.”

Meanwhile, the Hollywood Florida Police Department took to its official Twitter account to share some scenes during the rescue. In their post, the police department showed a series of photos, two of which were the facade of the abandoned building and what appears to be the vault itself.

“A teen is safe after accidentally locking himself in a vault at an abandoned bank in Hollywood,” the tweet stated on Nov. 29. “With the assistance of Hollywood Fire Rescue, @browardsheriff Tactical Rescue Unit & employees at a nearby @BankofAmerica, the vault was opened and the teen was recovered & is safe.”

A teen is safe after accidentally locking himself in a vault at an abandoned bank in Hollywood. With the assistance of Hollywood Fire Rescue, @browardsheriff Tactical Rescue Unit & employees at a nearby @BankofAmerica, the vault was opened and the teen was recovered & is safe. pic.twitter.com/WHPmCXmZVq

— HollywoodFL Police (@HollywoodFLPD) November 28, 2018

The report mentioned that a vault specialist was called in to help the tactical team in rescuing the trapped teen. The steel rebar in the vault, as per officials, made it impossible for the team to saw through the concrete.

A Bank of America employee from just across the former branch, however, eventually came in and gave the combination of the vault to the authorities. The teen was freed before 5 p.m. It is unknown whether the two teens would face any charges for the mischief, following the incident. Cody Cepeda/JB

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